The Portland daily press., 1887-02-26
The Soldiers and sailors Monumen,


To the Editor of the Press.
On the seventh of March we shall have
the opportunity to vote whether the city
shall or shall not donate the Market SQUARE
lot for the purpose of erecting a monument
thereon. New let the voters consider if this
is the most suitable location for the purpose
OF erecting memorial monument. II we
were going to erect memorial monument to
the memory of our friends would we moi
select more quiet place where we could
have shrnbbery, flowers and plenty OF
green grass and trees near by? VIII not
Market Square always be business place
with the Horse Railroad extending by On each
side OF the Square? Is it not one of the
most noisy and dusty as well as dangerous
situations on account of fire? Would not
the birds of the air English sparrows) build
their nests ON monument situated in
Market Square if the architecture would
protect them? Would it be kept in as clean
ly condition there as if it was erected in a
more quiet place? Can we not select MOI
appropriate situation to make memorable
the deeds OF our departed friends and citi-
Gems? 1.-the monument Is erected in Market
o4aoAC auu tiC dlCItttcbuIt ana maLerlai
are such that it will be necessary to keep it
covered in the winter, will it look much bet
ter than the old Market House?
In conversation with one of the committee
on designs he remarked that monument
should never be situated so that Won could
look down upon it. Now If we should stand
at the corner of Congress and High or Oak
streets could we not look down upon a
monument in Market Square If there was
one situated there? In my opinion it is
neither too good nor the valuable lot to
perpetuate the memory of those whose lives
were given to perpetuate the Union. At the
annual meeting OF the Soldiers and Sailors
Monument Association held two wears ago
when, the officers proposed this Local
tlon, there was an unanimous vote to ask the
city government to grant us the lot My vote
was not given as 1t occurred to me that it
was not an appropriate place. At the annual
meeting one year ago it was voted with two
opposing votes to make another petition for
this lot. Now In my opinion if the officers
had selected some other location the vote
would have been just as large. Various
reasons nave been given in favor of the lot
IN the Square. One is that we, and our
children, will see it oftener there than anv
where else. Now my opinion is that the
oftener you see anything the less you notice
IL. II we saw the monument only once a
month would we not be likely to stop and
think what 1t was erected for and examine
It's architecture? The Market House is not
fine looking building. but if the monument
is not built on the lot. no doubt in years to
come improvements will be made to cor
respond with the rest of the city property.
what better place can we select than
Deerlng Park to erect monument or if Sit
uated about northwest from the pond Just
opposite to the fountain, in a vacant space
not occupied with trees, with plenty of room
and no expense to the city for the lot? This
SITUATION could be given with less expense to
the Soldiers and Sailors Monument Associ-
atlon than most any other place in the city.
The city could give us. from the bottom OF Or
SIDES OF the pond, all the earth we should
want to fill in around the foudation and to
build mounds for shubbery, flow
ers and ornamented places. The chill
dren visit there often; we can go there occa-
siionally and invite our friends visiting the
city to go with us, and no doubt the future
city government can afford to expend the in
come of Old City Hall building to ebeautify
Deerlng Park. Now few words to the
members of the Soldiers and Sailors Monu-
ment Association, and to those who vote and
pay small taxes. AS members of the Asso-
money we can to build fine monument.
are there not many of our large tax payers
tnat have not given much towards our funds?
WIN they not give hundreds of dollars more
II the monument Is not to be built in Market
oqaure? We have received considerable in
small 81 sI sums lido we not want to procure some
OF the large amounts? Those voters who
pay but small tax no doubt would like to
see tine monument erected and if they can
not afford to give any more no doubt they
would like to have others do so. When we
vote let us vote yes, or no, as we think best,
honor the monument will be built and to OBJ
tain as hne monument as we can.
Yours Respectfully,
CHARLES K. SoMERBY